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Ryan Gentzler
I’ve spent the last several years developing tools to harness the power of data to build a more transparent and accountable justice system in Oklahoma. My work has focused on turning messy administrative data into compelling interactive data visualizations that deepen our understanding of how justice is done.
I love bringing data to bear on complicated public policy problems and providing tools to help social services agencies do their work more effectively.
Experience
Research Director
Oklahoma Policy Institute
Tulsa, OK
2021
- Oversee the organization’s use of data in support of policy priorities and programmatic goals
- Manage business activities of Open Justice Oklahoma to provide data products and services to external customers
- Manage growing team of data analysts to create rigorous, compelling research products
Director, Open Justice Oklahoma
Oklahoma Policy Institute
Tulsa, OK
2020 - 2018
- Built first-of-its-kind database combining court, jail, and prison records and spearheaded efforts to provide insights into Oklahoma’s justice system
- Published interactive data visualizations of the effects of justice reforms, movements of the prison population, and evictions during the covid-19 crisis
Criminal Justice Policy Analyst
Oklahoma Policy Institute
Tulsa, OK
2018 - 2016
- Wrote blog posts and reports examining topics including Oklahoma’s incarceration rate, the scale of Oklahoma’s fines and fees crisis, and racial and geographic disparities in the justice system
- Built and maintained relationships with state legislators and justice reform advocates to build support for justice reform legislation
Selected Writing
Assessing the First Year of SQ 780
Oklahoma Policy Institute
N/A
2018
- Interactive data visualization exploring the impact of SQ 780 on criminal case filings
The Cost Trap: How Excessive Fees Lock Oklahomans Into the Criminal Justice System without Boosting State Revenue
Oklahoma Policy Institute
N/A
2017
- Report exploring the growth of court fines and fees in Oklahoma, their effects on defendants, and what lawmakers can do about it
Education
Master of Public Administration
University of Oklahoma
Tulsa, OK
2015 - 2013
BA, Institutions and Policy
William Jewell College
Liberty, MO
2009 - 2005